Fringe Nutcase Leah Burton: Palin AG Pick Led Secret Pro-Rape Cabal; UPDATE: Letter from WAR Added

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Yesterday, when I saw allegations floating around the Alaska nutroots blogosphere that Wayne Anthony Ross, Palin's designee as Alaska Attorney General, had made comments in favor of rape and domestic violence, I just laughed and dismissed it as not worth answering.

However, Shannyn Moore plastered the allegations up on the Huffington Post, and Sean Cockerham, whose employer at the Anchorage Daily News is always anxious to investigate wacky Palin conspiracy theories, posted on the "story" at the ADN in-house blog. So we should probably do some vetting of Leah Burton.

You can read Burton's allegations at Cockerham's blog entry, but in a nutshell she says that, back in 1991, she was in a Denny's restaurant and overhead WAR make comments in favor of rape and domestic violence. She has no proof other than her own word, and no other witnesses (of course).

Who is Leah Burton? She's a kook that thinks Christians want to take over the world and impose Biblical law on everyone. She runs a couple of websites that can be found here and here, and she describes her occupation as "life coach." She doesn't even live in Alaska anymore, but in Washington state.

Apparently she has aspirations as an author - she wrote an e-book about her experiences as a life coach (featuring endorsements from a pilot and a dentist). She now has another book that she's trying to flog (apparently not too successfully, its sales rank on Amazon is somewhere below 2 million) - a book she admits she was trying to get out before the election to surf the tide of popular interest in Governor Palin.

Burton has described herself as "hands down" an Obama supporter, and her blogs contain screed after screed about evil Christians, including that horrible Rick Warren who spoke at Obama's inauguration.

In one splendid bit of irony, she wrote an article which asked:

Do You Have to be Male to Practice Misogyny?

Do you have to be female to be a feminist?

The answer to both is a resounding NO!!

But is it really necessary to Eat Our Own?

It's so ironic because, among other things, she's published entries which refer to Governor Palin as a "country bumpkin" and Ann Coulter as a transsexual.

If not for the fact that she was bashing Palin, this woman would get no attention at all. I'm sure the legislators will dismiss her as a tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorist, but the nutroots will get all the play they can out of this while they can.

UPDATE by RAM: I've been reading through this lady's blog, and let me tell ya... this is vintage fruitloopery.

She thinks all the Christians in America are part of a "Dominionist Movement" plotting to take over the country and turn it into... I don't know -- the creepy country depicted in Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" I guess.

She defines "Dominionists" for us:

Definition: Dominionists seek influence and control over secular civil government, through political action and spiritual warfare with a theocratic mandate to forcefully impose "biblical law" as the ONLY law of the land, and that the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Constitution should be seen as a vehicle for implementing Biblical principles.

She calls Rick Warren "one of the TOP leaders in the Dominionsm Movement." She claims that he's a liar:

It is not an honest man who prides himself on being a "stealth dominionist". It is not an honest man who uses the horrific conditions of others to gain popularity and acceptance, yet furthers an End Times agenda "under the radar".

"Under the radar" seems to be a favorite phrase of hers to describe this secret cabal of Christians. I half expect her to accuse them of meeting in catacombs to practice cannibalism and plot the burning of Rome.

Sarah Palin is apparently the high priestess of this cult:

The machine behind Palin is irreverent and arrogant in their sanctimonious views. We all need to educate ourselves as they pride themselves on "flying under the radar". These are their phrases, not mine.

And the frightening reality is that they ARE under our radar because the realities associated with this machine are so unbelievable…and so appalling…that our rational minds cannot wrap around their agendas.

She calls Sarah Palin their "Poster Girl" who will "push to turn our democracy into a theocracy."

But, of course, no one sees the threat but our tinfoil-hat heroine:

They number in the millions, and scholars spend countless hours, days, and weeks talking about them. But no one - NO ONE - is yet to connect the dots. I am confident that those of you who come to my blog will read this and educate yourselves about what I am posting, but the issue is not that there aren't a number of sites on the net to learn about this.

But don't worry, folks, she's not crazy...

I know that I walk a fine line of being viewed as an alarmist, hence the necessity of making this an ongoing discussion, and a lengthy one. My sources and research are credible, and it is my fervent hope that what I impart here is taken with the utmost sincerity.

Sure. Absolutely. Very credible. Now might I suggest that you take your meds.

UPDATE by VO: Ross has responded to the allegations with a letter of his own. I encourage you to read it - I guarantee that conservatives will enjoy it. The guy does not write like a weaselly mush-mouthed politician.

UPDATE by Mel: The governor answered a couple of questions about WAR during her press conference today. Video below (starting at the 3:50 mark)



UPDATE by VO: KTVA reports Ross' response when asked about this in his confirmation hearing:

A letter former Public Safety Commissioner Richard Burton's daughter, Leah Burton, wrote to lawmakers turned into one of the most contentious points.

She says in 1991 she heard a group of men talking, including Ross, saying domestic violence "wouldn't be an issue if women would learn to keep their mouth shut."

Then Rep. Carl Gatto,R-Palmer, asked about this part of Burton's letter, "Do you recall ever making a statement it's OK for a man to rape his wife?"

"Anybody said that to me then we'd have a little confrontation. Because that's a bunch of crap," Ross replied.

UPDATE by VO: Further developments on this story here.